Dr. Mercado's involvement in the research activities of LPD were related primarily to two projects: (1) Preparation of data on completed research on the isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase-x for presentation at the Twenty-fifth Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, November 1977 and (2) Completion of research on the isolation of Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes from the blood of infected mice. Recovery rates with our method of separation were significantly higher than with methods employed by other workers. In October 1977, she began a year of sabbatical leave at the University of California, San Diego, to pursue studies in the fields of biological membranes and electron microscopy (Drs. Fortes and Farnsworth, Department of Biology). This training and research experience will provide a broader background for her work on Trypanosoma cruzi and on the pathological physiology of parasitic diseases. BIBLIOGRPAHIC REFERENCES: Mercado, T.L.: Trypanosoma cruzi: Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes and infections in mice. Exp. Parasitol., 40: 411-420, 1976.